Preserving Oregon’s Public Lands
by Rob Taylor….
As a lifelong Oregonian, taking our public lands for granted can sometimes be easy. Oregon’s public beaches, Crater Lake National Park, the Pacific Crest Trail- all these wonders were established long before my birth- but they didn’t appear out of thin air. Our lands are constantly being fought over by various private and public interests. As we head towards a drastically changing political landscape in 2025,- let’s explore the legal opportunities and threats facing the public lands we all enjoy and explore.
For starters, here’s what is going on locally:
1) The State’s lawsuit against Winchester Water Control District (WWCD) and TerraFirma remains ongoing. For those unaware, last July, over half a million lamprey were killed during repair work on the Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River. ODFW claims that WWCD and TerraFirma failed to make “sufficient efforts” to save the stranded lamprey affected by the drawdown of water, and is claiming over $27 million in damages (about $50/lamprey, plus other costs). We tend to agree. This July, though, the court denied our motion to intervene in the lawsuit on standing grounds, but we are keeping a close eye on this lawsuit as it may have major effects on how and whether the Winchester Dam remains on the North Umpqua River.
Most recently, the court designated this case “complex,” meaning that it will stick with just one judge. But so far, defendants have not filed any motion or response to the State’s claims made last October. The State notified the court that it intended to apply for a “default” order if the defendants did not respond shortly. We shall soon see how WWCD intends to defend itself—if they do at all!
2) Governor Kotek is calling lawmakers back to work in December for a special session to address the costs of another record wildfire season here in Oregon. Nearly two million acres burned statewide this year, mostly in eastern Oregon, with costs higher than $350 million.
3) BLM’s Blue and Gold timber sale, a logging project that proposes clearcutting old-growth forests in the Oregon Coast Range outside Sutherlin, Oakland, and Yoncalla, is facing stiff opposition in the courts. This September, we joined sister organizations in sending a letter to the BLM asking that the agency issue robust and proper implementation guidance on old-growth logging. But in the meantime, timber sales like the Blue and Gold project will need to be challenged in court. Some of these trees were sprouting at the time of the Roman Empire– they deserve protection. We continue to lobby and collaborate as best we can with BLM and other organizations to ensure the few-remaining old-growth stands in the Coast Range can be enjoyed for generations to come.
Nationally, we are entering times of potentially massive changes in how public lands are managed. But some major changes are happening even now:
The Forest Service is proposing updates to the Northwest Forest Plan. Time for public comment closes December 2nd, and it’s unclear whether these proposed changes will survive as we transition to a new presidential administration. Nevertheless, all efforts should be made to ensure that any amendments to the plan preserve old-growth habitats, maintain biodiversity and connected wildlife habitat, and account for the massive carbon sequestration benefits that old-growth forests provide us all.
Donald Trump’s incoming administration is likely to focus on resource extraction. Billionaire Doug Bergum, the Secretary of the Interior nominee, has a mandate to “drill,” and Burgum has a history of supporting the fossil fuel industry. As Governor of North Dakota, however, Burgum proclaimed a goal of carbon-neutrality by 2030. We hope the incoming administration will honor America’s love of public lands and support carbon-neutral energy projects moving forward. We must keep an eye on how proposed deregulation and privatization efforts could affect our local environment. When necessary, our involvement, input, and opposition will be crucial.
https://www.cascwild.org/lawsuit-launched-to-prevent-old-growth-logging-in-oregon-coast-range/
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=64745
https://www.kfyrtv.com/2021/05/13/nd-governor-aims-for-carbon-neutral-by-2030/
